Here at Carleton, accessibility is a priority, both on campus and on the web. As Thursday, 21st May is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we thought we would bring you a brief overview of web accessibility as well as resources that will guide you through your web accessibility journey.
Accessibility Overview
The web offers unprecedented opportunities, especially for people with disabilities, so important to implement accessible software for all web content. Accessible software can be anything from screen readers to closed captioning. Everyone can benefit from accessibility strategies, such as adding alternative text to describe an image. Therefore, it is always a good practice to include them on websites.
A developer can learn the basics of web accessibility in just a few days so it is worth the initial time and expense to implement accessibility strategies.
What makes an accessible website?
Web accessibility refers to a set of guidelines, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), that specify how to make digital content accessible for all users, despite differences in ability. WCAG is organized around four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.
WCAG outlines around 60 various forms of success criteria when it comes to web accessibility. Some examples include headings, tables, hyperlinks, and images. Refer to this website to learn more.
Creating accessible content
The web services department has outlined 12 key practices to implement in order to create accessible content. These practices fall into four broader categories:
Want to ensure your website is accessible? Refer to our web accessibility checklist
Accessibility at Carleton
To learn more about the innovative and important steps Carleton is making surrounding accessibility, such as the Coordinated Accessibility Strategy click here!
The Web Services department has created a number of informative and educational newsletters on web accessibility. To check them out, click here. Learn about anything from the top five accessibility issues, to how to create accessible documents.
Refer to Web Services accessibility resources to learn more about regulations, techniques, and tools.
WebAIM Resources
Web accessibility in mind or WebAIM is working to expand the potential of the web for people with disabilities by empowering individuals and organizations to create accessible content. This website provides a wide array of informative resources! Explore this educational and helpful website by visiting some of the links below.
To learn even more about accessibility, take our accessibility training: